Batman slumming it in Arkham City

Superhero video games were once like their cinematic counterparts of the ‘90s—they weren't very good. In 2009, however, game developer Rocksteady Studios changed not only the landscape of superhero games, but also what a great video game meant with "Batman: Arkham Asylum."

"Arkham Asylum" (AA) shattered expectations of critic and gamer alike, so when Rocksteady revealed the teaser trailer for its sequel, "Batman: Arkham City," (AC) a mere four months later at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, expectations shot through the roof—like bats outta hell.

AC takes place one year after the events that transpired in AA, and opens with Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne holding a rally and speaking out about the horror Arkham City has become.

The former warden of Arkham Asylum, Quincy Sharp, has now become Mayor of Gotham City after taking credit for putting an end to Joker's madness in the first game.

Sharp has declared the institutions that held Gotham's criminally insane (Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary) unfit and has shut them down. In their stead he has purchased a section of Gotham City's slums, walled them off and thrown in practically every criminal Gotham has to offer, along with anyone else he deems fit.

During the rally, Wayne gets captured by TYGER security guards. They are part of a private security company working for Sharp under the rule of Hugo Strange, a twisted psychiatrist whom Sharp has given full control of Arkham City. Strange is obsessed with Batman (blaming the Dark Knight for most of the criminals' existence) and is aware that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one and the same. The televised rally serves as the perfect opportunity to capture Wayne, sans the Bat.

It's then up to gamers to fight their way out of the slums-turned-prison and get to the bottom of what is going on. There is a linear story here that gamers can progress through in roughly eight to 10 hours, but one can easily spend another 10 with the many side stories that AC offers.

Every super villain in the city has his own agenda and territory. Gamers learn quickly that there are no friends here. Joker hates Penguin, who hates Two-Face, and they all hate Batman. The city isn't as large as, say, ones found in "Grand Theft Auto" games; however, it could be argued that there is much more painstaking detail in Arkham City than anywhere else.

In AA nothing felt better than soaring through the air, grappling from one destination to the next, but Batman couldn't stay aloft for very long. In AC thanks to the new "dive bombing" technique, it's possible to traverse the city without setting foot on the ground.

The "freeflow" combat system in AA was praised by nearly everyone and one would think it'd be impossible to improve on, or even need improvement, but Rocksteady did.

Now the Caped Crusader can counter up to three enemies at once, take down multiple enemies, fire off gadgets much quicker and has a larger arsenal of gadgets to choose from including freeze grenades, smoke bombs and a device that shoots remote electrical charges.

Aside from direct confrontation, the World's Greatest Detective will also need to contend with The Riddler and his challenges and trophies, which make their triumphant return in AC. This time, Batman not only needs to solve 400 riddles but rescue hostages out of harrowing situations that would fit quite well in a "Saw" movie.

There are also a few instances during the campaign when the game shifts and players gain control of Catwoman, who also has her own agenda and story to tell. Catwoman doesn't have nearly as many gadgets at her disposal, but she can get into tight spots Batman cannot, gain access to areas Batman never sees and during combat she kicks just as much ass.

New to AC is the "Riddler's Revenge" mode, which is similar to the challenge modes in AA but now players can create their own challenges by stipulating what requisites must be met to complete the challenge.

Rocksteady has improved upon every aspect that made AA great: the combat, the story, the attention to detail, amazing visuals and voice acting. Simply navigating the terrain is also improved.

To say that "Arkham City" shatters expectations would be doing it a disservice. It grabs your expectations by the face, slams them into the concrete, kicks them, breaks an arm and then blows them up. It's damn near perfect.